In a message dated 9/14/05 11:58:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Now I know that Michaels prices for DMC embroidery thread are hard > to beat and are much cheaper than the needlework shop. A couple of the > Krenik threads I wanted weren't available at Michaels, so I went to the > other shop on the way home and found that the Krenik threads were 75c > cheaper. Dear Lacemakers, Sometimes bargain hunting can eventually have an adverse impact on you. And, appartently I am the only one willing to put my head in a noose to remind those with pocket snakes what can happen. All over this continent (North America) full-service embroidery shops that would gladly special order anything you wanted, and owners who would help with patterns and techniques, have been driven out of business by indifferent giants like WalMart, Michael's, etc. In the process of driving down the cost of threads, I have found that the quality of DMC floss seems to have lost out. I have plentiful supplies and can compare skein-to-skein. The floss seems to have become fuzzier, and to have occasional knots in it, making it unsuitable for some techniques. Used to be as smooth as Au Ver a Soir, so that the only way you could tell the difference without testing the fibers was that DMC comes in 6 thread skeins and AVaS comes in 7 thread skeins. Don't know about everyone else on this list, but when I am spending many hours on a project, I want quality materials. I also like to spend money in local shops, because my money will circulate locally. When you spend in the giants, the money goes out of town, and usually out of state. As I have related before, many people in my town support the local bookstore, which gives 20% discounts on most books ordered. They don't sell my name/address to junk mailing companies behind my back, they protect my privacy in that they do the ordering instead of my giving my credit card info to many people I don't know, they take the risks out of ordering self-published books, etc. Just yesterday, the news report was that Linen and Things is looking for a buyer. Now, what if it is sold to a business in China, which is really an extension of the Chinese government? Not a far-fetched idea any longer. I pay cash for many things to keep out of the huge global tracking loop of collecting customer data. Do as you wish. My system works for me, and I even get alerts from my local store when "this year's edition" of something I collect comes out. Chances are, if I moved, I'd still use this store and gladly pay the shipping charges for *service*! By the way, I do this with a full-service needlework shop in New Jersey, some 400+ miles from my home - service matters. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
